UK ‘to lose 600,000 workers to illness without better health support at work’

An extra 600,000 people will leave the British workforce in the next decade due to long-term health conditions unless ministers usher in “a fundamental shift” in how employers help maintain staff wellbeing, a report has warned.

More than 3.3 million adults are expected to become economically inactive by 2035, according to analysis by the Royal Society of Public Health (RSPH), costing the UK £36bn a year.

This projected 26% increase would represent the equivalent of the entire city of Bristol leaving the workforce. It has spurred the RSPH to call for a recalibration in how workplaces are used to support people with conditions such as musculoskeletal disorders, mental health problems and cardiovascular disease.

The figures come in advance of the upcoming Keep Britain Working review, due to be published this month. The independent review by Sir Charlie Mayfield is expected to make several recommendations on the role of UK employers and the government in tackling health-related inactivity and creating and maintaining healthy and inclusive workplaces.

“The UK’s productivity crisis is one of the biggest challenges facing our economy and long-term health conditions in the workforce are a major factor in this,” according to William Roberts, the chief executive at the RSPH. “We need a fundamental shift in how we see the role of employers in keeping people healthy backed up by a national standard that covers all UK employees.”

As a result, the RSPH are calling for a range of measures that they argue will make workplaces better equipped to support the health of their employees. These measures includes a national health and work standard, which would establish a minimum level of support all UK workers should be entitled to.

“The declining health of the working-age population is one of the biggest challenges facing government,” said Sam Atwell, policy and research manager at the Health Foundation.

He added: “The only sustainable way to meet this challenge is to keep people healthy and in work for longer. The Keep Britain Working review is a vital opportunity to change this. It should recommend that government and employers take early action on workforce health through clearer standards and create a roadmap to expand access to specialist ‘caseworker’ support that helps people stay healthy and in work for longer.”

Previous analysis by the RSPH found that almost half of the UK workforce lack access to workplace health support including winter flu vaccinations and checks for cardiovascular diseases.

Jamie O’Halloran, senior research fellow at the Health Foundation, said: “If we are to reduce economic inactivity and raise the employment rate, harnessing the role of employers will be essential. Doing so would not only benefit government but also employers themselves – through lower staff turnover, reduced presenteeism and higher productivity.

“We believe this requires raising the minimum standards of support for employees across all workplaces, while also helping and encouraging businesses to go further. Investing in staff – especially in line managers – benefits both employees and employers. It improves workers’ health and wellbeing while strengthening the overall health and performance of the business.”

A government spokesperson said: “Good work is good for health and good for the economy. Through our 10-year health plan we’re shifting from sickness to prevention and helping frontline staff like GPs and physiotherapists to get patients the personalised support they need to get back to into work. The upcoming Keep Britain Working review is also looking at how employers can support employee health and create more inclusive workplaces.

“Everyone we can help stay in or return to work isn’t just transforming their own life – they’re contributing to our communities, economic growth and building the healthier, more prosperous nation we all want to see.”